Piper PA-34-200 N15566

Summary

On 4 February 1998 at about 03:38 local time, a Piper PA-34-200 registered N15566, operated by Fred H. Pate, was involved in an accident near Graford, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 February 1998 at 03:38

Classification

Accident

Location

Graford, Texas, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-200

Registration

N15566

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Fred H. Pate

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Arlington → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW98FA117

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the ground. Factors were the dark night, the rising terrain, and the ground fog obscuring the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was dispatched to pick up a stranded flightcrew that landed at the destination airport, 70 miles from home base. Fog had formed in the area. The airplane circled the airport, above the fog layer, but was unable to land due to the fog. After circling the airport, the airplane was heard proceeding east bound until the sound of the engines disappeared. An ELT signal was received by another airplane on the 290 degree radial, 19 miles from the Milsap VOR. There were no reported eyewitnesses. The wreckage was located the next morning on the eastern ledge of a granite ridgeline of a north-south oriented hill rising approximately 200 feet above the surrounding terrain. The wreckage was scattered for 270 feet on a heading of 240 degrees. Signatures at the initial point of impact indicate that the airplane contacted trees and terrain in controlled flight in a slight left wing down attitude. Flight control continuity was established. The landing gear and flaps were found in the retracted position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.